How we develop a pitch

Reflections before starting

• A potentially successful pitch is not a statement of that we need and/or desire the funds or support a development institution has as a mandate to invest. A potentially successful pitch is a piece of proof of that we already have a system in place that ensures evidence based sustainable impact, matching exactly the Ambitions of the development institution, if funds and/or support is invested in us.
• Key here is that we are not asking for plain support to us,
  but we are helping a development institution reach their ambitions
  -which have to be overlapping with our our ambition for the development institution to qualify as potential partner to us.
  We act as a business consultant.
• It is more efficient to carefully review ROPEs of potential partners and identify strong matching than to send vague proposals. It is also crucial for our brand that if an Institution hears from HR&S they are already sure that the message or proposal is quality.
• People are very busy and we shall not waste anyone else’s time, so when we do reach out,
  • our request is always professional, easy to understand, makes a lot of sense,is interesting for the targeted person, helps the targeted person with something she/he needs help with,  we are sure we target the right person…, thus, it is of top quality in every aspect.
  • our programme is large enough ensuring that the % admin cost is low for the potential partner.
  • we have already coordinated we an impressing number of co-partners, many of which are already at reach within the HR&S family.

Preparations

We often develop pitches by combining ROPE reviews of the partners form whom we propose a win-win partnership (including ourselves).

1. Clearly identify the partners for the collaboration.
2. Compile ROPE reviews for each partner and upload on the CRM platform in use.
   • By doing so can we use the same ROPE review several times.
3. Assess:
   1. The level of Ambition overlap
   2. If our Sustainable Impact represents a solution to their Outcome Challenges.
4. If the assessment scores high, then we do have a value proposition to offer, and it is worth the effort to develop a pitch.
5. Use AI to ask about the ambition challenges activities offers and funds available to invest for potential partners and compile in a CRM software.
   

Pitch Development

1. When presenting the problem and the need,
   ensure that it is a something that the potential partner(s) recognise and feel comfortable with.
   • This is the overlapping ROPE backgrounds/contexts for all involved partners, thus the reason to why they have defined their respective ambitions.
   • The need is often versions of the Outcome Challenges.
2. When presenting the solution and our competitive advantages
   ensure it is an over-lap of Activities. That what we want to do is also what the potential partner wants to do AND needs support to address.
   As competitive advantages we present our SOPs, our GMPs and out TestE survey findings.
3. When requesting an investment
   try to leverage it to be at at price that is easy for the potential partner to cover. Maybe something small, very easy to understand, precise reporting and a low price. So that they decide to try/take the risk with a new partner, us. Then hopefully we will get a change to scale up, later.

Reflections when developing a pitch involving a major development institution

We often build on the Ambitions and Progress Markers of the financial partner’s programme, as many of these partnerships is framed by a larger institution wanting to implement a programme and for this programme they have funds to invest. This situation is similar to the implementing partner acting as a consultant to the financial partner. The Outcome challenges will be lack of implementing capacity by the financing partner and the activities possibly have tasks for the financial partner, complemented by tasks for the implementing partner, in a way that makes a lot of sense. The Stakeholder Committee is composed of mainly the implementing partners, possibly with representatives from the financial partner. The input is the value proposition and the competitive advantages, thus the implementing partner’s GMP  and previous evidence of sustainable impact.  The RISEagency costs are covered by the financial partner, and are included in the proposed investment and business plan.